Unicorns Are Mystical!
by Iggy the Strong and Free
Summary: A rewrite of the vastly popular Big Bang, meet familiar and new characters as the entire story is overhauled! Better characters, better plot, better action, better setting, this story has it all! Come along with Mason, Dante, and the rest of the team!
1. Chapter 1

**A story loved by many but plagued by an author's ill experience is now back! Welcome to the official rewrite of The Big Bang!**

The white city gleamed in the afternoon sun. The ground was white marble, engraved with etchings and brick patterns. Sidewalks adorned the entire city square, bridges spanned calm canals that sparkled in the broad sunlight, and gondola's guided young couples along what was surely a beautiful date.

Mason sat in a square stone island isolated by the canals; two of the majestic bridges attached the tiny park to the rest of Magnolia Town. He had somewhere to go, but couldn't help himself; he had dug his hands in his pockets and sat there, staring in awe.

Lush blooming flowers decorated hedges and potted plants. With the help of large maple trees, they added a natural and sweet-smelling aura to the city. Mothers played with little girls in the green grass of the park. Singing birds he couldn't recognize topped it all off, adding a pristine chorus to the beautiful scene.

Bells rang from somewhere else in the city, reminding Mason that he was on a schedule. He folded the flyer that had been in his hand and put it away, remembering what he had come to Magnolia for. He left behind the picturesque park, albeit with a heavy heart.

The directions left on the flyer were obscure at best; the building was said to be in Magnolia Town but the map suggested it was just outside the city. Mason had made his way to the center hoping he would catch sight of the buildings, now he could do little more than guess a direction. He chose North, opposite the coastline, and set out.

He wanted to get there with plenty of time before dinner, so he could finish his business with them and have time to get something to eat in town. He also didn't want to rudely intrude during a meal. Despite this, he could not tear his eyes away from the sign of a small magic shop.

It seemed as if the building was a regular size at one point, but the adjacent shops squished it to half its regular width and twice its former height. Though it's selection was most likely humble, Mason figured it would suit his needs perfectly. A bell chimed as Mason entered.

"Hello dearie," an old woman greeted just as mechanically as the bell. Mason regarded her politely and moved to one of the displays in the shop.

"Is there anything you're looking for, dearie?"

"I'm looking for a gift for my mother." Mason poked a floating hand that made up a magic clock. "Something that's not too hard to handle that she could make use of."

"How about this?" The old woman had somehow already protruded the object, holding it out to show Mason. It was a small box with an open top, big enough to fit his hand inside. "This will make all of her kitchen duties a breeze! Put in any food and it'll dice it right up, instantly! Chop chop!"

"My grandma has one of these and she loves it." Mason took it from her to study, considering the buy. "It would lighten her load…"

"I have one of my own, I can chop up all the ingredients for stew in a minute!"

"Alright, I'll take it. How much?"

"4,000 Jewels."

Mason bit his lip, it was a high price but he felt rude haggling with the kind old lady.

"Could 3,500 Jewels work instead?" He asked hesitantly.

"I guess that could work, darling." Mason breathed a sigh of relief. He worked hard for his money and wished he could have saved more of it, but he didn't want to risk treating the cashier rudely.

Mason had barely handed over the money when he heard a commotion from outside.

"I'll look after it." He promised the cashier with a quick nod, then ran out to find whatever was the issue. Mason ran down the street and ducked into an alley to reach an open area behind the lines of buildings. Inside was a strange sight was to be seen.

A tall man with indigo hair faced away from him. He wore a white overcoat and held two revolvers, pointed at two of three other armed men. All three of the other men wore threadbare poncho's and mustaches of varying style and intensity. The four of them barked at each other in different language, a language barrier clearly adding confusion to the exchange.

"Tu engañando bastardo!" One man snarled behind a three-pound mustache.

"Vamos a atarlo detrás de los caballos," another told the first.

"I! Do! Not! Know! What! You! Are! Say-ing! Right! Now!" The man in the white coat said, shifting one of his guns to a man that had spoke. Even though he held two, each mustached man carried two revolvers and they were all focused on him.

"Eres una serpiente en un traje," the last man said, gesturing with a pistol to the man in white.

"Horseshoe over there had cards up his sleeve," The well dressed man explained. "How do you think he had more chips than you two put together?"

"Et tu, Felipe?" One man, who would have likely been called Handlebar turned to Horseshoe, his face covered with hurt.

"Yeah! What an ettu!" The local joined in without any understanding of what was actually said. Handlebar moved one of his guns from the white clad man to Horseshoe.

"Traidor!"

"Trader?"

"Nō," Handlebar annunciated the word to the local. " _Traidor_."

"If he's a trader, I bet he sells fakes!" The one who spoke common now pointed both of his revolvers to the trader. The other two mustaches pointed the rest of their guns the same way.

"El mentiroso!" The horseshoe trader hissed at the one with indigo hair. The poncho'd men turned their back to the other and began to yell amongst themselves, their guns all pointing at each other now.

"Seeing as you three are all busy, I'll take my leave..." The man wearing white began to back up slowly. He wiped his fingerprints off the revolvers with his sleeve before setting them down on the marble, dusty and dirty in this part of town. A mark on the back of his lowered hand seemed to be shining to Mason's watching gaze, a symbol Mason had seen many times recently. He never had the chance to speak up, for Mason already couldn't spot the sly man. It seemed he already had an escape route in mind before making his getaway.

Mason yelled after him, picking an alleyway closest to the arguing gunslingers and racing down it. His form changed as he ran, his feet barely found the ground before pushing off and he took long, surprisingly graceful strides. Despite all of this he ran faster than the average man and in less than a minute he could spot the retreating man, white coat flailing behind him like a flag in the wind. It took three strides for Mason to place a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around in surprise, expecting one of the fooled mustaches from before to have caught up with him. His hand flew to his white sleeve with startling finesse and retrieved a single playing card, held between his index and middle finger. He held the card as if wielding a knife. It glowed a dull blue as he spoke.

"Come to accuse me of cheating or theft?" His eyes scanned the alley behind Mason.

"Neither, though I don't know think I'd be that far off." Mason smiled, a twinkle in his eye to best show this stranger he meant no harm. Thankfully, a sly smile spread on his face.

"The best cheaters and thieves are all innocent, and I intend to stay that way." The man's card disappeared up his sleeve and he lifted his stance. Mason saw the man's face fully for the first time; his eyes twinkled in two different colours. One was a brilliant blue, while the other was a dazzling green. The combination looked strange, if they so much as landed upon you they looked as if he was studying you intensely. They always seemed to be jumping around, even when they were still. It was an eerie combination. "I can tell you're smarter than the others back there, my name's Dante Atene. That's At-een."

"Mason. Mason Marcotte."

"Mason, what a peculiar name," Dante pondered, "how can my services be of service to you?"

Mason pulled the flyer out of his pocket and held it out for Dante. A smile spread over his face.

"That means you're with me. I'll take you there. Come on, before those ponchos realize I pointed their guns the wrong way."

Mason dropped the flyer, now with no need for it, and let it drift to the ground.

 _Help Wanted!_

 _General worker for the mage guild Fairy Tail._

 _Magnolia Town, inquire within Guild Hall._

000

Dante took Mason through Magnolia with many times the skill Mason traversed it prior. If anything, the alleyways Dante took to avoid the mustaches from before shortened the trip and avoided any civilian traffic.

The air was hot and stuffy in the tall dark alleyways. If anything Mason would have guessed the opposite would be true, since sunlight couldn't reach them now, but the heat seemed to follow the air and there was now no wind to provide any relief. It made him wonder how Dante kept his coat on. He was sure Dante was the only one that truly knew how heavy the coat was, with all of the different things Mason's hadn't ruled out as being hidden up Dante's sleeves.

They left the city entirely to get to the guild. West of town, down a gravel road, and into a forested area was where the hall resided. Atop a hill, accessible by worn, mossy, stone steps stood the proud guild hall of Fairy Tail.

Mason was not one who quickly judged a situation, yet even he could not help but criticize the guild immediately upon seeing the guild hall. He had grown up to stories of mighty heroes: Natsu Dragneel, whose flames burned hotter than the sun; Erza Scarlet, beautiful as she was dangerous; Gray Fullbuster, calm, collected, and stronger than anyone knew. He couldn't imagine these heroes residing in such a place as this. The guild hall was quaint at best, a height that was barely two stories composed from crumbling stone and cracked wood. The crested roof above the door had a slant to it that translated onto the sign it held: Fairy Tail. The building looked like a farm house or tavern, not a place that housed heroes. Mason held his tongue for now, deciding to hold any further judgement until he actually met the guild members.

One guy had a buzz cut, a gold chain, and a black shirt with a large silver S on it. He was talking with a guy who looked like his hair was reaching out to grab someone as he smoked heavily on his pipe, which emitted purple smoke. There was one man who wore a witch's hat and his body shape was that of a perfect sphere about the size of a minivan. Another guy wore a strange black suit and stood there, doing what looked like interpretive dance. There were people with bull cut's that should never see the light of day, a man racing back and forth around the guild at high speeds, one guy even had skulls dangling from his belt.

"And you called me peculiar." Mason forced a short laugh

"I said your name is peculiar, I find you to be interesting if anything." Dante waved to the few members milling around the guild.

"Dante, is this the main guild hall of Fairy Tail?" Mason was prudent in his choosing of a sentence, as to not suggest the wrong idea.

"Yeah, it is…" Dante's tone lowered a notch. Mason knew that he needed to deliberate further, realizing it alongside a gulp.

"I just mean… It doesn't seem like the guild is all that full," Mason's eyes flicked around, as if needing to affirm his statement, "I haven't seen any of the members I've heard of either. Where is Salamander? Or Titania?"

"Nobody knows…" Dante replied, turning away from Mason so he couldn't see his expression. "Why do you want to know about them? Is the guild not to your liking?"

"I-it's not that…" Mason said quickly, embarrassed at the response. Mason stayed quiet for a moment, trying to reason his words carefully this time around. "It just seems like I haven't heard about them for a long time. Especially because everyone talked about them when I was a kid."

"Relax, I'm just messing with you. Try not to take it personally." Dante turned back, showing a slight grin. "The thing is, nobody has heard from them for years now. It's like they just up and left.

"DANTE!" The words struck the fear of god into him. His mismatched eyes froze and he stiffened, looked truly scared. A girl blew open the guild doors, pink hair flailing.

"What do you think you're doing!?" She demanded. Her hazel eyes blazed at him, an action that didn't seem right for her face.

"I-"

"You know I'm the tour guide and show all the new members around!" She shook her head at him; the long pieces of pink hair that weren't tied with a ribbon shook.

"Is she really the tour guide?" Mason leaned towards Dante and asked.

"More of a self-appointed position, but don't tell her that," Dante advised.

"I CAN HEAR YOU!" The girl exclaimed, sticking her neck out. She grabbed Mason by the elbow and pulled him away from Dante. Her expression suddenly changed to bubbly and friendly, as if she was a whole new person.

I guess she is just protective of her unofficial position, Mason retorted.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" She squealed, interrupting his thoughts. "I'm Maryanna Lux!" She offered a small hand and Mason took it eagerly, being sure to remember the name. She continued to walk him to seemingly nowhere in particular.

"Well I'm Mason Marcotte aaand..." Mason looked at all the passing doors while he said the word, stretching it so the motion would fit. "Where are we going?" She laughed as if it was a stupid question.

"To meet everyone, of course!" She smiled and returned to her old course. She was in what seemed to be an ivory-colored school outfit. A blazer-type jacket and a frilly skirt, topped off with a plaid bow just below her cleavage. "There's no better person to introduce a new member than me!"

"Maryanna, you realize that I'm not actually a member right?" Mason chuckled. Maryanna skidded to a halt, her face still turned away from him. "I'm here to be a worker."

"Oh…" Maryanna whirled on him with a surprising face of joy. "That's wonderful! I work here after school, and Dante runs a game night! You'll be working with us!"

Mason laughed, he expected to be looked down on for not having a mark. "I'm not a worker yet, mind you. I hope to be one soon."

"Don't worry about becoming a member." A sly smile appeared on Maryanna's face and she turned away from him, walking away lightly. Dante reclaimed his place at Mason's side.

"What does she mean?" Mason asked. Dante simply pointed at Maryanna, who was speaking to the man with the oversized "S" necklace and slicked back hair. A scene unfolded before their eyes, too far away to hear. Maryanna said something to the man, pointing back at Mason as she spoke. The man looked skeptical, rubbing his chin stubble wordlessly. It was then that Maryanna turned back to the pair, speaking loud enough so they could hear.

"Hey Dante, did you know that Macao has a secret stash of -" The one she called Macao pounced into action, snapping his fingers and making a purple fire jump from his fingertips. It formed a hand that covered Maryanna's mouth, silencing her. She didn't seem scared of the fire, for it didn't seem to hurt her at all. The still frantic Macao crossed the distance between him and Mason in a few steps and eagerly shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you! Macao Conbolt, Guild Master! Glad to hire you!" He didn't stop shaking Mason's hand (or sweating) the entire time he spoke. Maryanna was a few steps behind him with a too-wide grin on her face.

"Awesome!" Mason exclaimed. "When do I get my mark?"

The others fell silent. None of them met Mason's eyes, but Macao spoke.

"Kid, only magic users can be members of the guild. Sorry…"

"Oh…" Mason bit his tongue, what a fool he was! It was a wizards guild, let alone Fairy Tail that he was working for, and he expected to be welcomed among veterans? He would have to wait if he wanted to become a member. "It is a mages guild after all." He let out a weak laugh.

"Burn the damn Magic Council and their rules." Dante slapped him on the back, startling him to full attention. "Don't let them tell you whether or not you are a member here. You'll be just as much one of us than any magic-user in no time."

"Thanks Dante." Mason was honest, he was truly thankful. The man stood up for him, showing the first real example of Fairy Tail's infamous bonds. Even if he wasn't a member, Dante refused to let him fall away from relevance.

"We can show him around from here, Macao." Dante nodded at the Master, who took his leave. Dante waited for him to leave before continuing. "Mason, what's your favorite color?"

"Green, why?" An object was pressed into his palm. Mason's eyes went wide when he saw a guild mark being stamped on by Dante. "Where did you-, it's against the rules!"

"If it's here you'll be able to hide it if you ever have to." Dante pulled off the stamp, leaving a green Fairy Tail mark on his palm. "Burn the rules. Mason, you're one of us."


	2. Chapter 2

"Yo new guy, mead!"

Mason took a moment to lean against the bar and breathe for what felt like the first time in hours. He donned an apron today, trying his hand as a waiter for the guild.

"Sorry Mason, but Wakaba does need another drink." Mason was brought out of his temporary reprieve to a warm Kinana smile.

"Another?" Mason managed a smile and a chuckle. "He already can't remember my name, another drink and I'll turn invisible to him."

"Possibly," Kinana chuckled, making a cute face that made Mason grin. "If he ever starts to bother you, just show him his tab and he'll go dry for days." She placed the mug on the counter, brimming with bubbles.

"I'll keep that in mind." With a bow of his head and a quick smile, Mason grabbed the mug and went about delivering it.

"Two Poor Man's Tonic!" The call came from somewhere behind him. Mason was too tired of being called on to even look back to see who it was. He was just going to bring them to wherever he had heard the voices from. When Kinana had mixed them and he brought them over, he was surprised to be looking at Maryanna and Dante.

"Maryanna, I didn't peg you as a drinker." Mason placed their drinks in front of each of them.

"Who said Maryanna ordered anything?" Dante reached over and pulled both drinks in front of him.

"How's the job, 'New Guy'?" Maryanna inquired.

"The work isn't hard, I just don't like being called back and forth." Mason sighed.

"It's really nice of you to work without pay for us too." Maryanna smiled brightly.

If Mason had a drink, he would have spit it out.

"Without pay?!"

"Yup." Dante placed an empty glass down with a steady exhale. "Some punk snuck in last week and robbed the guild blind; not that there was much to steal in the first place. Until we can get our feet back under us, you're an intern."

Mason slumped into the empty chair at the table and let his forehead make sweet love to the tabletop. Maryanna petted his hair gently and muttered quiet words to him, as if comforting a dog in a thunderstorm.

"Dante is running his game night tonight," Maryanna offered, "If it's successful, you could get a late paycheck. It's better than no paycheck."

"By the way, I'm gonna need an extra set of hands after tonight." Dante set down his final glass with an accomplished grin. "You free?"

"I guess. I've never been, why don't you ask Maryanna?"

"I said an extra set of hands, Maryanna is always there."

"Oh, so you're a gambler?" Mason lifted his head off the table finally to turn to her.

"Nope." When Maryanna looked back at him, her face portrayed a much deeper answer Mason didn't have time to question.

"New! Guy! NEW! GUY! MEAD!"

"Wakaba is calling," Maryanna said.

"What's he gonna do if I don't serve him, cut my pay?" Mason snorted, but got up and left to see to him. If he kept serving him, Mason figured, maybe all of the guild's money problems would be solved courtesy of Wakaba's tab.

"Coming right up!"

After a few hours of bartending, Mason decided that it wasn't for him. It had a few perks, such as his ability to carry a miraculous pile of tableware without it so much as swaying. Kinana was another perk. Although any man wouldn't complain about working with a cute girl, Mason particularly enjoyed the barmaid. She was an employee, not a mage, so she didn't look down on him like most of the members. Her kind, mannered personality had Mason soon noting her as a potential friend and someone he could trust. Sadly, tips were nearly nonexistent, which he hoped would help compensate his lack of pay, and he hated being called back and forth like some kind of dog. When suppertime came, Kinana told him he could take the night off, sending him away with a fresh bowl of stew.

Mason didn't take two careful steps before Maryanna waved him over to sit by her. They were alone at the table, Dante had left.

"Where's Dante?"

"He off getting a few things ready for his game night tonight. You're finally off?"

"Yeah." Mason took his first, tentative sip. "What is this game night anyway?"

"Dante basically turns the guild into a casino, any card game that you can put money on shows up. Dante rigs the whole thing, of course. He's smarter than he puts off when it comes to something he knows. If he sees a sucker, he'll make him win, knowing the he'll now come back and spend more money than he won. If someone is losing often, he'll give them small victories to ensure they keep coming back."

"It's all for the guild in the end, then?"

Maryanna nodded. "It's one of the main ways the guild makes money, since we don't bring in the money from missions like we used to. Honestly, there's only one member on the level of the Fairy Tail of old." Maryanna suddenly caught herself, turning to Mason with a finger on her lips. "She hates talking about the old times though, and so does Dante. So shhh..."

"You really do like talking," Mason chuckled, "And you don't seem to have a problem with giving out any information on anyone."

"While that's partially true, only my friends get the real inside scoop." Maryanna winked in a way that was a little more than playful.

"I'll keep that in mind," Mason said. "Problem now is, what do I do between now and the end of the game night?"

Maryanna's eyebrows shot up. She dug in her purse, fishing around until she pulled out a small silver key. "Here is my key to Dante's place. Since you're not being paid, I'm sure he won't have a problem with you staying there for a while. You've been working hard, treat yourself to a hot bath courtesy of Dante!"

"Thanks!" Mason took the key with glee. As he left the guild, he began to get the feeling Maryanna was a very valuable friend to have.

Dante's house was modest. It was very open, making it seem bigger than it truly was. Two floors, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and no other roommates made it the perfect place for Mason to bunk with Dante.

He spent no time making his way to the bathroom, where he had to resist the urge to dive into the water. He slowly set himself into the water and couldn't hold back a sigh. The warm water pulled out his stiffness from his recent travels and first day of work. He closed his eyes and sunk up to his mouth, resisting the urge to fall asleep. He'd have to thank Dante tonight.

Dante... What a strange man. Most of his skills and knowledge seemed to be entirely dishonourable, but Mason couldn't help but trust the man. Going behind the back of the master and making Mason a member was an action that he wouldn't forget anytime soon. He also seemed close with Maryanna; if anyone knew the true nature of men, it was her. If she trusted him, Mason did too.

He couldn't help but feel happy at the warm welcomes he had been receiving from the guild, especially from Dante and Maryanna. He already felt like he had carved his own little place in the guild. Many of the other mages seemed distant and foreign now, but he was sure that he could make a few friends if he really tried. Comfortable at the thoughts of his new friends, Mason let himself relax further and fell asleep in the warm water.

When the games night had concluded, Mason and Dante were left alone in the guild hall. They put away mugs and wiped down tables silently. The guild hall, which seemed cramped during the day, seemed much larger when it was this empty and quiet.

"Well, what did you need me for?" Mason inquired. Dante frowned, gesturing with his rag to the tables. "Anyone can clean a table, but you asked me personally to help you. My best guess is you wanted me alone afterwards."

"If you guessed that you'd be right." Dante sniffed a mug, made a face, then threw it over his shoulder. "Tonight, we're getting back the guild's money."

"We're going after the thief? How?" Mason stopped wiping. Dreams of a proper paycheck filled his head with hope.

"He is coming back tonight." Dante assured.

"You spoke to him?"

"No."

The two returned to their work in silence. Together they managed to clean the hall to the same state it was before the gambling started. Only when the last mug was washed and the last rag wrung dry did Mason speak up.

"I'll bite. How do you know he's coming back?"

"He is a sloppy thief. He is either new to this, or old and very lucky. I suspect the first option." Dante dried his hands and slung the rag over a shoulder. He leaned back against the bar and pointed to several doors hung open, their knobs bent and broken. "It took three tries until he finally found where we kept the money; any thief worth their salt knows before they enter a place. It took him an hour before he finally made it out."

"You're speaking like a well experienced thief."

"I'm an innocent man, and until I'm guilty I'm just a well-informed fan of the art." Dante grinned.

"Speaking of well informed, who exactly is your informant? How did you know how long he stayed?"

"Maryanna." Dante answered simply. He opened up a drawer of the bar filled with papers, retrieving a large envelope. He pulled out a paper and handed it to Mason. As Mason read, he continued. "If you need to know anything, Maryanna is your girl. She may not look it, but she has her ear to the ground at all times, and has a lot of friends around the city with ear's just as keen as hers."

"Who is this... Jonathon Mulligan?"

"He's our thief. Don't ask her how she figured it all out, I stopped questioning her a long time ago."

"You never said how you know this Jonathon Mulligan is coming back."

"One thing separates new thieves from experienced thieves: greed. He knew there was a game night last week and profited like mad from his little break in. Now, he's cocky and will come back this week." Dante's face suddenly set firm. His multi-coloured eyes didn't move, but they now looked beyond the front doors of the guild to something else altogether. "Shame he doesn't know the one rule of thieving: never steal from the same house twice."

As if summoned, crunching footsteps on gravel started outside the door. Dante hissed a quick order to Mason and they both dived behind the bar counter.

The front door swung open effortlessly, still not fixed from the last time the thief visited. Only a long creak gave away his entrance. His footsteps softened as he entered the guild hall. Mason began to sweat. Fear began to make his breathing hitch and his stomach turn. What if the thief was armed? What if something went wrong? He could be stabbed, or worse. Dante must have noticed his new friend's doubt, because he placed a hand on his arm. With a smile, he flipped a card out of his pack and held it between the same way as he had in the alley when they first spoke, between his index and middle finder and brandished like a knife. He wasn't alone, he had Dante, who could handle himself and then some.

The thief crossed the floor with confidence, heading straight for the office. When the thief had passed by the bar and was facing away from them, Dante gave Mason the nod.

Mason hopped the bar and landed on a tabletop with all the noise of a cat. From there, he stepped from table to table with ease. They didn't shake or wobble, or even creak when Mason put his full weight on them. Silent and graceful as a breeze, Mason drifted over the tabletops and ended up just outside the office. Dante, after taking a moment to frown at his Mason's unforeseen coordination, snuck across along the wall much slower than his comrade. They stood together outside the office door.

"That's our money, you half-rate!" Dante kicked down the door and hurled forward a hand of cards, which Mason never saw him draw. When they hit the startled thief, the cards morphed into water and slammed into him with incredible force. More water jetted from the impact point and pushed him against the wall, soaking him and many of Macao's papers. When the attack ceased, the thief fell to his knees. He was left sputtering out water and drenched from head to toe, his hood stuck to his face.

"How'd you like my Flush, Jon? Can I call you Jon?" Jonathon didn't reply, instead bursting forward with surprising agility. He socked Dante in the stomach and made to push past him, but Mason was faster. He surged forward with his own fist in hand, slamming his sharp elbow into Jon's back and making him stumble. Glowing blue cards whipped past Mason, pinning the hems of the man's pants to the floorboards. With a grunt, Jon swung his heavy money bag across the cards, sending them fluttering to the side so he could resume his chase.

"Get him!" They charged out of the office and into the guild hall proper. Jonathon had a head start, but Dante was already preparing more cards.

"I got him!" Mason grabbed a chair's back and threw it up in front of him. He then carefully kicked it out of the air, sending it arcing ahead of Jonathon. The two watched as the chair fell and slammed into his legs, tripping him and leaving him in a heap.

"Nice shot!" They closed the distance quickly. Learned from their past mistake, Mason placed a foot down on his back while Dante had three cards ready, each tucked in between the fingers of a fist.

"Fuck." Jonathon spoke for the first time. He laughed suddenly, mostly at the hopelessness of the situation. "You got me. Congrats."

"It wasn't hard." Dante spat. "It was like you wanted to be caught."

"I've given in; can you let me up?" Mason looked to Dante, who nodded. Mason removed his foot and Dante helped the hooded man up. He spun around a chair and let him sit on it. "Much better..." As one, final motion, Dante tucked back his hood. It revealed a bald man not much older than them, with a crooked nose and a dirty, smudged face.

"Why'd you do it?" Mason inquired eagerly, leaning against a table. Dante looked at him as if it was a stupid question. "You knew this was the guild hall of wizards, isn't that a little dangerous?"

"I don't mean to be rude, but Fairy Tail's reputation isn't exactly what it used to be." Jon looked between them a few times before his eyes decided on Dante. "Can I get a drink?"

"We've got a mead barrel tapped, is that good?" Dante asked, to which Jon nodded. Dante looked to Mason, who left to find a mug.

"I came to the game night of the festival, about a month back," Jon began, "Even if you guys were just a shadow of the old Fairy Tail, you were raking in serious coin." Dante bit his lip, as if holding back a reaction from an injury. Mason returned with a mug of mead, which Jon sampled. "Warm, but good. I figured all that coin in the hands of such a small guild made you an easy target. The first time around, I was right. I guess I was stretching my luck thinking I could come back the next week."

"Where is the money from last week?" Dante asked.

"Tucked into the pockets of whores and barmaids, at least most of it." Jonathon chuckled, which sounded like a pig's snort. Mason's heart fell, there went his paycheck dreams. "Never had that much money before. Spent it until I realized I didn't have the coin for supper. You two don't know how it is, you're lucky." Jon looked Dante up and down. "You're the dealer, always dressed fancy like and walking around like you've got heavy pockets. How was I supposed to hold back? I grew up in a box."

Dante leaned in close to Jon, reaching down and grabbing his dropped sack of money. "I was lucky all right; my box was outside a manor. And when they had roast duck on Saturdays, the daughter would barely touch her supper, so the servants threw it in the dumpster whole." Dante smacked his lips at the memory. He hefted the money bag off the ground and over his shoulder. "And the only thing that could make me the richest guy in the room is if I made a better get away with this bag than you." Dante reached inside the bag and pulled out a modest wad of bills, tossing it onto Jon's lap. "Get out of here, Jon. If I ever see you here again, it had better be either at my game night, or as an innocent man."

"Thank you, kind mages!" Jon rose, bowing profusely, even as he started to walk out. That is, after he hastily tucked the money in his pocket. "Thank you for your mercy!" He stopped at the doorway. "I never got your names, my friends."

"Dante Atene." Dante said with a smile.

Mason blinked, caught off guard. He was so engaged in their back and forth he forgot it was his turn to say his name. "Uh, Mason! Mason Marcotte."

"Dante Atene, Mason Marcotte." He took off and invisible hat and tipped it to them. He left the guild chuckling to himself.

"He's laughing at us." Mason said. "Why'd you let him leave with those bills?"

"No, he's laughing at his own luck. And I didn't." Dante corrected. A smile spread over his face as he held up the same wad of bills that Jon had pocketed.

"You damn pickpocket." Mason chuckled, grabbing Jon's mug and bringing it back to the bar.


End file.
